Pig's Eye Brewing Company

Pig's Eye Brewing Company was a Minnesota beer brand and brewing company established in Saint Paul in 1992. Its name referred to Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant, a French-Canadian trader and tavern keeper traditionally associated with the early settlement of Saint Paul. The company developed a portfolio centered on accessible American beer styles, including Pig's Eye Pilsner, Pig's Eye Lean Light, Pig's Eye Ice, and Pit Bull. The brand's first operating period was connected with Minnesota Brewing Company. It expanded rapidly enough to reach reported production of approximately 35,000 barrels by 1994, making it a locally significant brewing operation during a period when regional and craft-oriented beer companies were gaining visibility. Pig's Eye occupied a value-oriented position rather than presenting itself solely as a small-batch specialty brewery. Its range combined a pilsner, a light beer, an ice beer, and the separately named Pit Bull product, allowing the company to address several mainstream beer preferences. The original business encountered financial difficulties and folded in June 2002. Later that year, two former employees, brewmaster Phil Gagne and vice president of sales Jeff Crawford, purchased the recipes and reestablished the business. Their involvement gave the revived company continuity with the earlier brand while placing its management in the hands of people who had worked within the operation. The beers subsequently received recognition at events including the Great American Beer Festival, the Between The Bluffs Beer Festival, and the World Beer Championships, although consumer-review ratings reported by BeerAdvocate were comparatively modest, ranging from C to D on that site's grading scale. Pig's Eye remained associated primarily with Minnesota and regional beer culture rather than becoming a broadly international brand. Publicly available reference material identifies its principal products and award appearances but provides limited information about later ownership, distribution, corporate structure, or a permanent successor. The company ultimately shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, with restrictions and financial shortfalls cited as contributing factors. It is therefore best understood as a defunct regional American brewing company whose historical importance rests on its Saint Paul identity, its connection to the city's early namesake, and its survival through a management-led revival before its eventual closure.

Pig's Eye Brewing Company was established in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1992. The company took its name from Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant, a figure associated with the early history of Saint Paul. Parrant is traditionally described as one of the settlement's first residents and as the operator of a tavern at Fountain Cave, near what later became downtown Saint Paul. The historical reference gave the beer a strong local identity and connected a commercial brand with the city's early settlement narrative. The brewery's first period of operation was associated with Minnesota Brewing Company. By 1994, Pig's Eye had reached reported production of 35,000 barrels. Its product range included Pig's Eye Pilsner, Pig's Eye Lean Light, Pig's Eye Ice, and Pit Bull. The lineup covered several familiar American beer formats: a pilsner, a reduced-calorie light beer, an ice beer, and a product marketed under the Pit Bull name. This mix indicates an emphasis on broad consumer accessibility and regional distribution rather than a narrowly specialized brewing concept. Financial problems eventually brought the original company to an end in June 2002. The brand was not abandoned for long. In December 2002, Phil Gagne, who had served as brewmaster, and Jeff Crawford, who had been vice president of sales, purchased the recipes and reestablished the business. Their participation preserved continuity with the earlier operation while creating a new management structure based on former employees' brewing and commercial experience. The revived Pig's Eye beers appeared in judging and festival contexts, receiving awards at the Great American Beer Festival, the Between The Bluffs Beer Festival, and the World Beer Championships. At the same time, BeerAdvocate reviews cited in reference material placed the beers between C and D on its A-to-F rating scale, suggesting that competition recognition and consumer-review assessments were not uniformly aligned. Pig's Eye remained primarily a regional American beer company with a distinctive Saint Paul name. Available reference material does not establish a later national expansion, public listing, major corporate parent, or enduring international distribution network. The company ultimately shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemic restrictions and financial shortfalls were identified as factors in the closure. As a result, Pig's Eye Brewing Company is now a defunct regional brewery and beer brand, remembered for its local historical branding, four principal beer offerings, production scale in the 1990s, and revival by two former employees in 2002.

• 2002

  Original company folds

  [1]Pig's Eye Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The original operation closes in June after financial difficulties.

• 2002

  Business is reestablished

  [1]Pig's Eye Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Former employees Phil Gagne and Jeff Crawford purchase the recipes and revive the company in December.

• 1994

  Production reaches approximately 35,000 barrels

  [1]Pig's Eye Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company reaches reported production of about 35,000 barrels through its Minnesota Brewing Company connection.

• 1992

  Pig's Eye Brewing Company is established

  [1]Pig's Eye Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The beer company and brand are established in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

• Company shuts down during the COVID-19 pandemic

  [1]Pig's Eye Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The business closes during the pandemic amid restrictions and financial shortfalls.

A Saint Paul regional beer company offering accessible, mainstream-oriented beer styles under locally distinctive Pig's Eye and Pit Bull branding.

• Pilsner beer

  Pig's Eye Pilsner

  The flagship-named pilsner in the Pig's Eye portfolio. It represented the company's core lager-oriented offering and carried the brand's Saint Paul identity directly through its name. Available reference material identifies it as one of the company's principal beers but does not provide a complete formulation, alcohol level, package format, or release chronology.

• Light beer

  Pig's Eye Lean Light

  A light-beer variant designed for consumers seeking a lower-calorie or lighter-bodied alternative within the Pig's Eye range. It broadened the portfolio beyond the standard pilsner and reflected the company's effort to serve mainstream beer preferences. Detailed nutritional, technical, and distribution information is not established by the available references.

• Ice beer

  Pig's Eye Ice

  The company's ice-beer offering, positioned as a distinct style within the broader Pig's Eye lineup. Its inclusion gave the brewery another familiar mass-market format alongside the pilsner and light beer. Public reference material names the product but does not document its specific recipe, strength, packaging, or exact market footprint.

• Beer

  Pit Bull

  A beer marketed under the separate Pit Bull name rather than the Pig's Eye name. It was one of the four beers attributed to the company and formed part of its regional product portfolio. The available source does not specify whether it was an ale or lager, nor does it provide detailed information about its launch, recipe, or packaging.

• 2002

  Former employees revive the brand through recipe acquisitionStrategy

  Background

  The original company had folded in June 2002 because of financial problems, leaving its recipes and brand-related brewing knowledge available for acquisition.

  Action taken

  Brewmaster Phil Gagne and vice president of sales Jeff Crawford purchased the recipes and reestablished the business in December 2002.

  Aftermath

  The transaction allowed Pig's Eye beers to continue after the original company's collapse, although the revived business later shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Source

• Shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemicOther

  Background

  Pandemic-related restrictions affected brewing and hospitality businesses, while the company also faced financial shortfalls.

  Action taken

  Pig's Eye Brewing Company ceased operations.

  Aftermath

  The beer company became defunct, with no later operating status established in the available references.

  Source

1. 1Pig's Eye Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org